Universal credit and private pension contributions

Snowball45

Hi Folks
Another thank you to everyone who has posted on this thread and provided the information to tackle DWP on this subject. It really is a right slog to get things moving with DWP/UC, I dont think any of them are aware they have a Customer Charter they are supposed to work follow.    
I too am having the run around big time and feel like DWP are throwing up every barrier they possibly can. We went through managed migration process  in April. It is only now that we have had confirmation of the payment for the first assessment period, with the following 2 pending and in the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) process. (so 3 full months waiting and two months of battling for the first payment)
What I have been told is that for each  MR made this can sit for 28 days before this can be "chased up" and "escalated" to a decision maker (it appears these just sit and go nowhere in the interim, this is what occured with the first one I am sure). After this request they have 3 working days to allocate to a decision maker, then the MR can in theory sit with it for an unlimited period of time thereafter.  I have made a formal complaint and they say they are putting it back to the "complaints resolution team", however they are confident that they are following the correct process. This appears like unnecessary stalling to me. I have also contacted my MP's office and waiting for their caseworker to write to them also.
Has anyone else encountered this response, have any further advice they can offer?

Thanks again
SB   

justwhat

NedS said:

It's largely a training / lack of knowledge issue. The legislation has always existed. There has been a process, albeit not a great process, in place for quite some while to deal with this scenario. However, it was relatively uncommon and when someone did report 3rd party pension contributions, most DWP case managers were unfamiliar with how to handle that and dismissed it. With the managed migration from WTCs, it's been more prevalent recently, probably why the press have now picked up on it, and the increased numbers coming through the system have been noted and the process refined. But there's still a fundamental lack of knowledge amongst frontline staff, unless they've individually come across such a case that has been correctly handled.

There's also little empathy within DWP for the notion of people being able to pay large parts of their salary into a private pension and receive an increased UC award as a result. As a consequence, upskilling staff in this respect is not going to be a priority so it is likely the current situation of mishandling such cases will continue.

On the positive side, because of the increased number of cases due to WTC managed migration, the Decision Making team have now seen a sufficient number of cases flow through the system that they are now proficient at making the right decisions on these cases when they come before them, preventing the need for further tribunal filings.

Its so slow and cumbersome , i am no desperate for the money. But every step is 2-3 days. Ended up being 20ish day just to get MR ball rolling and Decision maker to actually make a decision, Its been 4 days waiting on the invalidation team to update our payment. 

Trouble is no one is accountable the procedure for handling this suxs and needs overhauled.  And they don't work at weekends , they should at least be working a Saturday.

i do hope it is more streamlined after the first MR request.

 

Largs

I thought they did open Saturday at DWP, it was changing to be similar to the Tax Credit office hours of operation 
.

poppy12345

Largs said:

I thought they did open Saturday at DWP, it was changing to be similar to the Tax Credit office hours of operation 
.

UC helpline is not open on a Saturday. Some decision makers/case managers may work on a Saturday. Some (not all) job centres may open on a Saturday. 

justwhat

poppy12345 said:

Largs said:

I thought they did open Saturday at DWP, it was changing to be similar to the Tax Credit office hours of operation 
.

UC helpline is not open on a Saturday. Some decision makers/case managers may work on a Saturday. Some (not all) job centres may open on a Saturday. 

Well journal states  "If your message needs a reply, we'll respond during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm)."

So i assumed they were not at work on Saturdays.

NedS

Yes, DWP work Saturdays. Case Managers (in service centres) certainly work Saturdays, and some job centres are open for appointments on Saturdays.

Some Decision Maker teams may work on a Saturday, but that is irrelevant as they will still only work a full time week, so working on a Saturday means not working on a Friday or Monday - not in addition to their current hours so will make no difference to the number of decisions that are made.

NedS

justwhat said:

NedS said:

It's largely a training / lack of knowledge issue. The legislation has always existed. There has been a process, albeit not a great process, in place for quite some while to deal with this scenario. However, it was relatively uncommon and when someone did report 3rd party pension contributions, most DWP case managers were unfamiliar with how to handle that and dismissed it. With the managed migration from WTCs, it's been more prevalent recently, probably why the press have now picked up on it, and the increased numbers coming through the system have been noted and the process refined. But there's still a fundamental lack of knowledge amongst frontline staff, unless they've individually come across such a case that has been correctly handled.

There's also little empathy within DWP for the notion of people being able to pay large parts of their salary into a private pension and receive an increased UC award as a result. As a consequence, upskilling staff in this respect is not going to be a priority so it is likely the current situation of mishandling such cases will continue.

On the positive side, because of the increased number of cases due to WTC managed migration, the Decision Making team have now seen a sufficient number of cases flow through the system that they are now proficient at making the right decisions on these cases when they come before them, preventing the need for further tribunal filings.

Its so slow and cumbersome , i am no desperate for the money. But every step is 2-3 days. Ended up being 20ish day just to get MR ball rolling and Decision maker to actually make a decision, Its been 4 days waiting on the invalidation team to update our payment. 

Trouble is no one is accountable the procedure for handling this suxs and needs overhauled.  And they don't work at weekends , they should at least be working a Saturday.

i do hope it is more streamlined after the first MR request.

 

No arguments from me there. The simple fact is that far too many key workers in DWP completely fail to grasp the issue, and there is no strategy to deal with it effectively, probably for the reasons I gave above.

Little consolation, but the phrase anything worth having is worth fighting for springs to mind.

dul50n

Snowball45 said:

Hi Folks
Another thank you to everyone who has posted on this thread and provided the information to tackle DWP on this subject. It really is a right slog to get things moving with DWP/UC, I dont think any of them are aware they have a Customer Charter they are supposed to work follow.    
I too am having the run around big time and feel like DWP are throwing up every barrier they possibly can. We went through managed migration process  in April. It is only now that we have had confirmation of the payment for the first assessment period, with the following 2 pending and in the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) process. (so 3 full months waiting and two months of battling for the first payment)
What I have been told is that for each  MR made this can sit for 28 days before this can be "chased up" and "escalated" to a decision maker (it appears these just sit and go nowhere in the interim, this is what occured with the first one I am sure). After this request they have 3 working days to allocate to a decision maker, then the MR can in theory sit with it for an unlimited period of time thereafter.  I have made a formal complaint and they say they are putting it back to the "complaints resolution team", however they are confident that they are following the correct process. This appears like unnecessary stalling to me. I have also contacted my MP's office and waiting for their caseworker to write to them also.
Has anyone else encountered this response, have any further advice they can offer?

Thanks again
SB   

We were migrated at the end of January and I requested mandatory reconsideration for five payment statements since then and heard nothing

I lodged a complaint and was fobbed off with "referred to DWP policy team" and " no timescales"

The problem is without a final decision you can't go to the Independent Case Examiner, the Parliamentary Ombudsman or tribunal and the DWP clearly know that and are abusing that power

Despite this I emailed the Independent Case Examiner on Thursday 4th July and put it to them that the DWP were abusing the complaints process

It might be a coincidence but on Friday 5th July the DWP leapt into action informing us that our complaint had been escalated

On Monday 8th July, as expected, the Independent Case Examiner wrote back to say that they couldn't take on our complaint without a final response from the DWP, but I like to think somebody somewhere got leant on

Shortly after that we were given an upload link for all the pension evidence and then a mandatory reconsideration notice confirming what I knew and was arguing for all along

However we're still waiting to receive what we're due to because the payment statement recalculations are wrong. My wife is both employed part-time and self-employed, but hasn't received any self-employed income in the last five months and now the DWP won't deduct her pension contributions from her employed earnings instead

My list of errors, maladministration, undue delays and poor service is just getting longer and longer.....

justwhat

NedS said:

justwhat said:

NedS said:

It's largely a training / lack of knowledge issue. The legislation has always existed. There has been a process, albeit not a great process, in place for quite some while to deal with this scenario. However, it was relatively uncommon and when someone did report 3rd party pension contributions, most DWP case managers were unfamiliar with how to handle that and dismissed it. With the managed migration from WTCs, it's been more prevalent recently, probably why the press have now picked up on it, and the increased numbers coming through the system have been noted and the process refined. But there's still a fundamental lack of knowledge amongst frontline staff, unless they've individually come across such a case that has been correctly handled.

There's also little empathy within DWP for the notion of people being able to pay large parts of their salary into a private pension and receive an increased UC award as a result. As a consequence, upskilling staff in this respect is not going to be a priority so it is likely the current situation of mishandling such cases will continue.

On the positive side, because of the increased number of cases due to WTC managed migration, the Decision Making team have now seen a sufficient number of cases flow through the system that they are now proficient at making the right decisions on these cases when they come before them, preventing the need for further tribunal filings.

Its so slow and cumbersome , i am no desperate for the money. But every step is 2-3 days. Ended up being 20ish day just to get MR ball rolling and Decision maker to actually make a decision, Its been 4 days waiting on the invalidation team to update our payment. 

Trouble is no one is accountable the procedure for handling this suxs and needs overhauled.  And they don't work at weekends , they should at least be working a Saturday.

i do hope it is more streamlined after the first MR request.

 

No arguments from me there. The simple fact is that far too many key workers in DWP completely fail to grasp the issue, and there is no strategy to deal with it effectively, probably for the reasons I gave above.

Little consolation, but the phrase anything worth having is worth fighting for springs to mind.

"anything worth having is worth fighting"  Maybe its because i am getting old. But i just dont think you should have to.jump through hoops.

Nothing seems to be done efficiently anymore. 

v1ckyt

Similar situation, my pension contributions have been assigned to a decision maker, but I can't get an answer on how long the DM is allowed to take over looking at the evidence and make a decision. Is there a statutory timeframe for a decision to be made does anyone know please?